Renewal
by raenbc
Summary: Marcus is taken in by the Davenports, thanks to Leo. There are mixed reactions as he tries to prove himself as one of the good guys. All characters (as well as OCs), there will be couples. Warning inside.
1. The Wreckage

**Hey, Lab Rats fans! I'm so excited to share this with you. Just a WARNING: as I go on with this, there will be a lot of ups and downs. It has some heavy topics, which might fall under abuse and depression, depending on the feedback I get. I don't want this to be triggering for anyone. The idea for this story came to me because I love writing about second chances. So although it'll include some dark subjects, it's about finding the bright side.**

**This chapter is dedicated to Precious, Amanda, Madison Tatum of youtube, and androidsareunderrated, michelle2403 and billyscookies of tumblr.**

**Enjoy!**

**I do not own Lab Rats**

8/16-ish/13

Somewhere among the debris, a dark time was buried. Not far from the spot where the showdown occurred, a voice called out from under the brush. It didn't sound sore from yelling, and it hadn't lost the quality it was known for after crying out all night. It was still annoying, so if anyone was around to hear it, they'd most likely tune it out rather than investigate.

Leo knew that. In all the craziness, it was easy for him to leave Eddy behind. Out of all the personalities a smart home system could be programmed to have, he and his family got stuck with that one. Subconsciously, he knew they could use a break.

Though it wasn't much of a break for Leo. Eddy's voice wouldn't leave his head. After all his family had been through together on that day alone, _that's_ what kept him up. Go figure.

He rolled over for what felt like the trillionth time, resulting in him nearly falling off the bed. Leo caught himself, and huffed quietly. He was unable to get comfortable, and knew there was no way he would fall asleep. So, he got up.

With the flick of a switch, the great room filled with light. Leo hoped that wouldn't bother anyone-because odds were no one else could sleep either-and he went to fix himself a midnight snack.

As he poured the milk for his cookies, he frowned at the memory that entered his mind. He saw a plate drop to the floor, thanks to the shock of a warning shot.

_I was clueless then, too_. He thought. It was scary to ponder how much even he hadn't known about what his family faced that day, and how much he still might not know. He shook off the nagging questions as best he could, and took a seat on the couch.

Surprisingly, he was a lot more comfortable there than he had been when trying to sleep. That feeling didn't last long, though.

A knot filled Leo's stomach before the cookies could, because of a sound at the door. It was an attempt at a knock, closer to a panicked scratch. Which would've been unnerving at any time of day. The fact that it came at this unholy hour just made things worse.

It also had Leo questioning his sanity, since he found himself on his feet and facing the door.

There seemed to be weights around his ankles as he walked. (Listening to the warped-sounding knock once again.) The door was only feet away, but it was a struggle to reach. That didn't help the case that answering the door was a bad idea.

But Leo did so anyway.

Metal. That was the taste that filled Leo's mouth when he saw who waited for him on the other side. Metal, like the hand that was used to knock on the door. One metal hand stood out among the dust. Among a few possibly broken bones. Among the bruised and bleeding _flesh_.

The energy needed to shut the door and run drained from Leo. As tough as it was for him to process, the anger in Leo's eyes wasn't directed at the person in front of him.

Leo's dropped jaw came up for a quick second. It set, holding something back. When he spoke, his own words surprised him. And the hoarse tone hid a quiver. "Why does it shock me that Douglas lied?"

Marcus tried to form words, but his mind failed him as much as his body. He stumbled forward, but Leo caught him.

That surprised them both. Leo, because he didn't think he had the strength. Marcus, because of everything he'd done.

In that moment, Leo didn't see all the things Marcus had done. He didn't see the lies and manipulation. He didn't see the targeting, the threatening, the capturing and the battling. All he saw was someone in desperate need of help, with the pleading eyes to showcase that. He made a decision. A rather drastic-and idiotic-one, that he hoped he wouldn't regret. "C'mon." He urged softly, leading Marcus inside.

The plan was to get him cleaned up first, and ask questions later.

* * *

Resting eyes opened to one seriously concerned-looking step-son. Donald got up immediately-despite how dizzy that made him-seeing that Leo's eyes kept darting back toward his bedroom door. Donald did more than wonder what unpleasant surprise awaited him outside. He asked. "Leo, what's wrong?"

Instead of explaining what the matter was, Leo begged, using words Marcus' eyes had spoken: "Please trust me."

For a whisper as calm as possible, it was jarring. After what had gone on that day, it was difficult to imagine what could be worse. Though Donald didn't have to, since Leo led him to the problem, as quickly as he could.

As Donald saw it, the problem was uncomfortably perched atop the counter. Looking as if he was unsure of how he got there. A trail of blood went from the front door to where one of the yellow stools had been before it was put off to the side.

Leo made it halfway back to the counter before he realized his step-father was no longer following. He looked over his shoulder just to glance at Donald. The look he gave wasn't helpless like before, but one that said there was no time for arguments.

That got them moving again.

"You can help, right?" Leo asked, as Donald took a moment to process the damage. The question was delivered in a tone casual enough that it made Leo sound like his normal self, but it shrouded a hint of fear and doubt. Which was expected, but still sad to hear. Donald then realized what Leo had to be unsure and afraid about.

He knew his step-father could help, but not if he'd be willing to. Donald had to clear that up. "Of course."

Being fast but thorough, Donald and Leo gathered everything needed to address the injuries Marcus had that could be taken care of where he sat. The first step was to stop the bleeding of anything that wasn't clotting on its own.

They were nearly finished with that part of the job when Marcus spoke up. He sounded as sore as he felt. "Sorry."

Donald and Leo exchanged confused glances while they waited for him to elaborate, but other than that their work didn't stop.

There was a lot to apologize for. So, Donald probed: "What about?"

"Making a mess of your counter." He clarified. The dismissive shrug he got in response told him not to worry.

"It's the easiest thing to clean." Donald reasoned, a bit taken aback by how nonchalant his voice was.

Leo's eyes briefly surveyed the towels, which had served their purpose (replacing gauze that had run out) and were bloodstained. "Speaking of clean," He said, "Mom just did laundry before she left." This implied how frustrated she would be arriving home the following day to find the towels dirty again. It was the least of their worries, but mentioned in attempt to cut the tension.

The joke was lost on Donald, but Marcus caught it. And to Leo's surprise, he chuckled.

Usually, that was nothing noteworthy. But this was-possibly-his former worst enemy. And it suddenly crossed Leo's mind that he couldn't remember hearing him laugh before. He hoped he remembered incorrectly, because that wasn't a comforting thought. None of his family's history with Marcus had been laughable.

He hoped the same wouldn't be said for their future. He hoped all the effort he and Donald put into this huge favor wouldn't be for naught.

* * *

The lab was a creepy kind of quiet, and Leo felt he didn't help that by neglecting to wake his siblings in a time of crisis. Instead-just for a second-he watched them sleep. Beyond baffled by how that was possible. _They_ were the ones targeted. Douglas was _their_ so-called father.

Leo paced the floor, conflicted. He wondered if letting them sleep was wrong. If they could manage, why disturb them? They would want to know what was going on upstairs. That Marcus was lying on the great room floor, bandaged and casted, with throw pillows under his ankle for elevation. But divulging that would bring on another battle. Not a physical one, but Leo figured enough of an emotional toll had been taken already.

The realness of it all hadn't sunk in yet. Even as he looked at the bionic chip in his hand. And the lone extractor left out on the edge of the table. Marcus' final request of the night echoed in his mind. Donald happily complied, but Marcus no longer being bionic didn't make him any less wary. And Leo couldn't blame him for thinking that way.

Douglas had not only controlled his bionic side, but his human one. Getting rid of the chip didn't mean getting rid of that influence.

Donald made sure Marcus was comfortable on the floor, where he had decided to stay. He found that Marcus hadn't been paying attention to him, but rather his own hands.

One was wrapped in a cast because of a broken wrist, and the other seemed to be twitching. Which either meant damage had been done to the machinery, or Marcus' nerves were really getting to him. "I'll... do something about that... soon." Even Donald didn't think that sounded reassuring. Though he could blame that on exhaustion. Marcus nodded, but said nothing. He'd hardly said more than three sentences since he showed up.

When the elevator door opened, Leo prepared himself for an earful. "Why would you open the door? Did you think you won the _midnight lottery_?"

Leo didn't take time to enjoy the irony and ridiculousness of that question. He sighed softly. "Big D, I know it was a stupid and crazy move, but it wasn't wrong." The look he received in response told him that Donald disagreed. "I couldn't just leave him-"

He cut himself off, not wanting to say what could've happened. What _almost _happened. It was enough to make Donald see Leo's side of things. For the time being.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow." Donald decided.

'We' didn't just include the two of them. 'We' included Adam, Bree and Chase, who hadn't believed Leo when he told them Marcus was evil. They were friends with him. They'd invited him to sleep over. They snuck out of the house and took Donald's self-driving car to hang out with him. And when they found out the truth, they didn't have time to be upset about it. Since they had a mission to save their father. And that was only the half of it. Finding out Douglas had planned to use Adam, Bree and Chase as weapons, and fighting with everything they had to make sure that didn't happen caused enough stress. Especially since Tasha was still in the dark about a lot of things.

Leo's choice to take Marcus in was noble. But the timing was terrible, and Marcus wouldn't have even been allowed near the house after what happened if he hadn't been in such bad shape.

The rescue was something Marcus needed. He didn't complain about having 'pathetic little Leo' help dress his wounds. He said something Leo and Donald were shocked to hear, having seen his true colors. And his mood lifted as the night went on. He didn't ask for much, and seemed content all things considered. But did that change anything? Or was he only being so nice because Leo and Donald were his last resort? And how would everyone else react?

A realization hit Leo so hard that it hurt. This night was not the rainbow after the storm.

It was the calm before it...

**THANKS FOR READING, PLEASE review! Let me know if there are any mistakes, if there's anything you want me to elaborate on, and if you have any ideas. Anything you'd like to see in later chapters. Feel free to ask questions. I appreciate any feedback, but lengthy reviews make me especially happy. For those of you that read my other stories (House of Switch, The Proof is in the Fangs and I Dare You), rest assured that updates will be made for those soon, too. I'll update ASAP! =]**


	2. Rude Awakenings

**I had SO much fun writing this! (Not that the first wasn't fun.) Usually my chapters, excluding the first, are eight pages minimum. This one is six, but I hope it's as good of a read as it was to write. **

**This chapter is dedicated to Echo Kraddick Stewart, *fuesco of deviantART, violeterin (I agree, I feel sorry that Douglas abandoned Marcus), mbvfan of tumblr, kweav101, life among the dead, 4EVA POLARBEAR LOVER, amichele, Lovedyoufirstx, androidsareunderrated of tumblr, androids-with-eyebrows of tumblr, Sara (I love your idea, and I'll try to incorporate it but in a different sort of way, since I have my two OCs in mind already), KyoumouDBZmjj8, MimiRanger of tumblr, and bloodshottailsdoll.**

**I do not own Lab Rats**

Four hours. That was the amount of sleep Leo had gotten the previous night, at the most. He wasn't exactly recharged, and shuddered because-even though he hadn't said that out loud-that was a scary way to phrase it considering what Douglas had 'revealed' about Marcus.

Sleeping any later would risk Leo's siblings getting up before him, though. That didn't seem like the smartest idea; he had to make sure everyone braced themselves first.

Unfortunately, he didn't think he had to brace himself. Before heading out his bedroom door, he checked his reflection in the mirror. He wasn't sure what startled him more: How he looked, or the fact that he'd forgotten he had injuries of his own. They were minor compared to Marcus', his siblings' and-now that he thought about it-Donald's, but that was because Leo hadn't been in the fight as long. And a building didn't come crashing down on him.

He took a breath, turned away from the mirror and resumed walking. Leo reached the landing of the stairs expecting to see Donald preparing breakfast, but another sight greeted him first.

Marcus was making a persistent effort at folding blankets one-handed. He'd done an impressive job so far, if the comforter he slept on top of was anything to go by. (That was on the couch beside him, looking a lot closer to folded than balled up and tossed aside.) He was almost finished with the second one when his finger caught a loose thread. He tried to get himself unstuck, but only succeeded in pulling the thread out more.

The giggles Leo had stifled wouldn't hold themselves back any longer. Marcus turned around at the sound of his laughter. "Need some help?"

"Nope." Donald answered for Marcus, since he had made the same offer minutes before.

Leo watched Marcus' expression change when Donald spoke. It had shifted from a look of frustration over that thread, to a look of embarrassment.

A day ago, Marcus was the enemy. Which seemed to hurt as much as the way he was currently viewed: as the victim. With people rushing to not only be his hands, but his mouth.

It was strange. Leo remembered the relief that washed over him when he found out that none of the injuries Marcus suffered were internal. But the lack of physical pain on the inside said nothing for how he felt emotionally. Though this situation was certainly an upgrade, every moment would be an adjustment. Everyone's hurt would last even after their wounds had healed.

Once Marcus freed his finger and finished up with the folding, Leo sat down on the couch, being careful not to trip over the crutch leaning on the side of it. (Seeing that made Leo realize the extent of Marcus' injuries, and he couldn't believe that despite the breakages, he hadn't heard Marcus wince let alone scream.) Both boys took notice of how they were seated on opposite sides, like a quiet caution. With Marcus being as calm as he was, he didn't see how that could be done out of fear. Maybe it was just instinct, but he was used to it. No one ever got close.

"Look," Leo began, with a sharpness that caught them both off guard. Marcus met his eyes, knowing he was about to say something important. "all this time, I saw through you." The strong start was countered when Leo faltered a bit, hurt by the words he had yet to speak. "But I didn't see past you."

He paused, seeing Marcus' face contort a bit. His fortune had clouded his judgment. He hadn't thought about what Marcus went home to. And when he saw it for himself, he knew a place he described as incredibly grim was by no means a home. Even after that, he chose to fight instead of talk. Leo had his own regrets to live with. So, instead of ignoring his thoughts, this time he voiced them.

As terrible as he felt saying such things, Leo knew keeping quiet was worse. "When you messed up… would he hurt you?" It was a loaded question, but a valid one. Not all the injuries Marcus had seemed fresh.

Marcus' mouth didn't move, but for a second his eyes seemed to scream.

"Did he make you feel like you were… made to serve him?" Leo went on uneasily. "And that you didn't belong anywhere else? Like there was no way out?" His sympathy switched to anger, when his mind flooded with all the things Marcus had put him and his family through. "Did you ever once regret what you almost got away with?" The anger then dissolved, almost into hopelessness, as Leo asked the last question he had on his mind at that time. "Do you wanna change?"

That last question was what mattered most.

An ill-formed apology turned grilling didn't tend to get an answer with much substance, in Leo's experience. He almost expected another 'I don't know' in response to that interrogation. But Marcus sounded perfectly sure.

"Yes." The one small word was packed with a mix of emotions. More frustration and embarrassment, along with shame and hope.

That got Leo confused, but when he asked for clarification it came out sounding rude. "Yes to what?"

"All of it."

Leo nodded, and his tone went back to one Marcus was used to hearing through the spy camera Douglas had. "So, what do you wanna be?"

For a moment, the words seemed not to reach Marcus. It's not that he didn't hear, but the question was complicated. So he took time to make sure his answer was simple.

"Good." That sufficed, but he wasn't done. "_Safe_." He stressed softly. If that wasn't heartbreaking enough, he finished with: "Happy."

Donald watched the boys talk as he stood behind the counter eating breakfast. He found it funny that he couldn't really hear them over the sound of his chewing. He wondered what words Leo left Marcus with, because although he didn't seem offended by them, they definitely made an impact. But those words weren't the only thing Leo left with. He gave the others a half smile that he wasn't even sure they reciprocated, before heading down to the lab. He figured his siblings deserved a warning about what the day would bring. Though, if he was being honest with himself, even he wasn't sure what the day had in store.

* * *

"Hey, Marcus." Donald called casually. Though, the way the boy snapped to attention made it seem like he'd alerted him to some dire emergency. Which is why a somewhat panic-stricken look-meant to tell him _not _to panic-got paired up with the question: "What do you want for breakfast?"

Marcus blinked, a bit caught off guard. The question was nothing out of the ordinary, and he'd expected to hear it. It wasn't like Donald didn't care about anyone but himself. He'd proven that he did plenty of times over. But the tone he used suggested that while Donald wouldn't wait on him-after seeing how he refused help for things he could do on his own-refusing to eat was completely out of the question.

"Food." He replied finally.

That was up for analysis, too. Was he being funny? Sarcastic? Or was he just not a picky eater?

"Anything specific?" Donald asked, a little annoyed.

Marcus nodded. "People food." Donald swallowed a sigh, hoping _that _was a joke. He couldn't do much more than hope Marcus had never eaten anything not meant for human consumption. He pointed out all the places where Marcus could find food.

"Take your pick."

Marcus hobbled over and found something he liked. "Thanks." He told Donald.

He could tell by his tone that he wasn't just saying so about breakfast. And once again, he saw where Leo was coming from in helping Marcus. What else could he say?

"No problem."

* * *

The elevator door opened to reveal that Bree was the first one up. As sort of a parallel to the first thing Leo had seen when he got downstairs, she was also struggling with a task: braiding her own hair. Leo was by no means a beautician, but he knew that wasn't easy. Bree kept her focus on styling her hair so that she didn't have to think about other things. Realizing that only made warning her even more difficult.

As Bree tied off her braid, Leo said: "Nice job." He noticed that 'Good Morning' hadn't been easy to utter that day. That made him worry, but not nearly as much as her reaction.

"What do you want?" Her suspicious tone showed she was obviously onto him. She might as well have said: 'What are you hiding?'

"_I_ don't want anything." She failed to notice that he-accidently-put the stress on 'I' rather than 'anything'. "Girls spend so much time on their hair and barely get complimented for it. I was just tryin' to be sensitive."

"Really?" Bree asked flatly.

"Really." He assured her, but that was only a half truth. He identified with her trying to keep her mind preoccupied. He inhaled silently before he continued, seeing her smile appreciatively. And not wanting to lose that. "And since I made an effort to be nice and understanding with you," He watched her eyebrows raise, as if saying she knew there was a catch. "maybe you can be nice and understanding with me. And Big D." Her annoyance turned into innocent confusion, and Leo dared himself to go on. His voice lowered, to the point where he wasn't sure she would hear. "...And Marcus."

"Marcus?!" She heard alright. He shushed her-not wanting Adam and Chase to wake up to that-and watched her wide eyes glaze over. Maybe from the feeling of reliving a nightmare. Maybe because she was so mad. Maybe because it was impossible to believe there was still a Marcus to be nice and understanding toward.

"I know-" Leo started, because it was a lot to take in. But saying that wasn't going to make it less so. "I know…" He said again, trying to think of something that would make her see their side. But he didn't even get a chance to finish thinking.

She super-sped past him, and he had to wait for the elevator to come back down again so he could go after her.

"What is he doing here?" Bree demanded to know, livid. The question was directed at Donald-who nearly dropped his tablet out of surprise-but Marcus answered. Her tone would've put a scare into Marcus even if he still possessed all of her and her siblings abilities combined, but he pretended it didn't affect him.

"Eating breakfast." The snarky remark had Donald swallowing a laugh, but Bree didn't see anything funny about the situation. Leo walked in in time to see Bree angrily pull her father far enough away to where she thought their conversation was private. Not that that made much difference. Marcus had sensitive hearing, bionics aside.

"He's not a threat." Donald insisted quietly. Bree didn't look at all convinced.

"Just because he's hurt, that makes him no longer dangerous? Did you forget what he and Douglas tried to do? Did you forget that has _all _our-"

"The chip's out." Donald interrupted. "He's not bionic anymore."

Bree threw her hands up in exasperation. "_Oh_, so that automatically absolves him of everything?" The rant that seemed inevitable didn't happen. Instead, she seemed surprised by her own words. "I sound like Chase." She muttered.

Donald suppressed another laugh, not wanting to upset her any more. Bree forgot where she was going with her argument, and went to have her breakfast on the couch, under the impression that she was wasting her breath anyway.

Marcus suddenly seemed to find the bottom of his cereal bowl a lot more interesting, because he wouldn't look away from it. His sarcastic comment hadn't made things any better, all it gained him and Bree was a loss of appetite. They ate to keep themselves busy. Donald passed another bowl off to Leo.

"I kinda have a job to do." He said, pointing to the elevator. He felt the first attempt hadn't gone over well, and that he needed to give it another go.

"I kinda have a family to feed." Donald countered. "Eat." The instruction was not only an order but a plea. "You know your mom will yell at me if you don't."

Leo laughed, and accepted the bowl. He was grateful for it. But at the same time, he felt bad for not being able to give his brothers a heads up. And he was conflicted about where to sit. He was already standing by the counter, and he could bet that if he didn't sit near Marcus, no one would. But Bree was alone on the couch, with only her thoughts for company. And happy thoughts were in short supply at the moment.

It was up to Leo to find a balance with everyone. So, he made a compromise. The second Marcus put his empty cereal bowl in the sink, he motioned for him to follow him to the couch. At first, he hesitated. But no matter how big the house was, they were bound to run into each other sometime.

The boys made their way over and sat down. Bree looked up from her bowl to find her brother sitting between her and Marcus. The glare she gave said they were both pushing their luck. Contrary to what they expected, she didn't get up and move across the room. But her mouth didn't move-except to eat-and her sour expression stayed. She didn't see how they could tolerate each other. Especially since they'd hated each other from the start. The fact that Marcus had gone after her family had her holding a grudge. She couldn't care less about her sore back and whatnot.

"Alright kids," Donald began, finding his own words odd since he included Marcus in that group. "I'm gonna go wait in the driveway." Tasha would be home any minute. And one of her signature freak-outs was guaranteed. Except this time, with everyone's injuries, it'd be a much more serious matter. "Behave yourselves."

Leo sent his step-dad a questioning look. "You'll be feet away, what could we possibly do in five minutes?" He glanced between the two on the couch with him, realizing he might as well retract that statement.

But Donald wasn't thinking about what they had done-or could do-to each other. He gestured to Leo and said: "You break everything you touch," then, pointing to Bree, he went on. "you still have the terrible habit of texting while using your super-speed, and _you_…" Donald paused when he got to Marcus, then finished with: "Don't scratch anything."

Marcus waited until Donald was out of earshot and mumbled: "Let's hope he doesn't notice the door." Leo didn't bother to curb his laughter over their inside joke, regardless of that earning him another dirty look from Bree. Only she wasn't looking at him, and her expression had shifted from angry to curious. Marcus followed her glance, which settled on his metal hand for a moment.

"That's it?" Her cryptic tone made it difficult for the others to figure out if she was surprised to find out he was a lot less metal than Douglas had made them think, or if it came as a letdown. As far as they could tell, she didn't seem sorry.

"Mostly." Marcus answered. A vague question deserved a vague answer in his view. Plus, he figured she wasn't really in the mood to talk to him.

The next sound the three heard was the elevator door opening. This inexplicable burst of confidence allowed Leo and Bree to look up at their brothers. But Marcus kept his eyes on the floor.

Leo and Bree had no time to take in Adam's expression, because no sooner then he arrived, he turned around and headed back for the lab. Almost like he'd forgotten something. That would've been a relief, but the reality was he wasn't ready to face everyone else. Or witness Chase's reaction.

There was so much aggression in his eyes, it seemed like Spike had made an appearance. Even if that was the case, it would only speak to how fearful he was of the situation he found himself in. Along with being a glitch, commando mode was a defense mechanism.

Chase seemed frozen where he stood, but only for a moment. Then, he practically marched up to his siblings. He spoke through gritted teeth. "Whose bright idea was this?"

"Right, because if an idea isn't yours it can't be a good one." Leo surprised himself with that comeback. He didn't want to be angry at anyone. He wanted to be understanding with everyone. Chase wanted an explanation, but something like this was hard to put into words.

Leo couldn't explain why he was lightest sleeper the night before. Why he was only one around to answer the door so late. Why he made the decision to do just that. But as tough as the situation was, Leo felt he did what he had to do. Yet he couldn't bring himself to say so. Chase shook his head. There wasn't much he could say either. Leo knew what Marcus had done. He knew better than anyone.

But Chase had to hear a reason. And he wasn't about to have this discussion with Marcus in the same room. He didn't want him to have the opportunity to give his opinion. Marcus had a scary way of getting inside people's heads. And-prior to that-he'd thought Leo was immune to that. Chase couldn't stand to look at Marcus. There was no way he would speak with him.

Leo and Bree sensed that, and got up. They followed their brother back to the lab.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tasha arrived home.

To say the sight of Donald's injuries made her uneasy would be an understatement. With how fast she ran to him, it would seem she was taking lessons from Bree. She thought back to how happy he'd been to have her back in one piece after the teleporter incident. Now she knew that feeling, and he knew what it was like to be 'in danger' of his guts squishing out. He tried to suppress a wince of pain, but that didn't work out too well.

She gasped, and her hands quickly dropped to her sides. "No, it's good pain." He insisted weakly. "We're all… gonna be fine." There was no sense sugar-coating it. But that didn't help Tasha worry less.

"What happened?" She asked, taking Donald by the hand and dragging him into the house as gently as possible.

"A lot." He answered honestly. And behind that was the promise that he would let her in on everything. She knew that, and she saw why he kept his response short.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Davenport." Marcus greeted, with a wave. The two hadn't officially met, but then was a good a time as any. If she was at all disturbed by Marcus' metal hand, that didn't show.

"Thank you, Marcus. Hi." It was an awkward statement, considering she didn't expect to find him sitting on the couch, in worse shape than Donald. She turned to her husband, and asked in a hushed voice: "Where are _our _children?"

"The lab." Marcus supplied, over Donald's chuckling. That was the first sign for Tasha of just how much she had missed. She knew that Marcus had discovered the lab, and that he and Leo had never got along, considering Leo's theory. But, as far as she knew, he got on well with Adam, Bree and Chase. So why the distance?

* * *

Adam looked on from the background while his siblings argued. They well all trying to talk over each other, which meant no one's point was being heard. And he couldn't tell whose side Bree was on. But as soon as she realized no one was listening, she stopped talking. It didn't take long for the others to notice. They quieted down, too. And-angry as he was-Chase wanted to hear Leo out. So, he tried to let him speak. But every word seemed to make him madder.

"You don't have to tell me how bad he was-"

"**_WAS_?!**" Chase echoed, his tone a mixture of his already apparent anger and utter disbelief. His interjection didn't make Leo falter, despite that no one in the room had heard him get that loud before. Chase included.

"but shutting him out makes _us_ bad."

Chase scoffed. "Well, maybe I'm no genius, but I think shutting him out makes us_ sane_." Bree rolled her eyes at his mocking tone, and she caught sight of a scarily stoic-looking Adam.

Leo seemed to stand tall in that moment, despite how small he felt. He was tired of yelling, but his calm tone had more of an impact on Chase than anything about their argument up to that point. He mustered up the courage to say what he couldn't before.

"We left Marcus to die. Because Douglas of all people made us think we didn't have to care what happened to him." He heard Chase gulp, and had no idea if that was because he felt like he was being put in his place, or because he was holding back tears. (He felt Bree and Adam's eyes on him. Her expression suggested that same realization had hit her. His was unreadable.) "We're the good guys. We have to care, no matter what the circumstances are. You're the ones that taught me that." All the times they took on missions that could potentially lead to their deaths, they weren't thinking of themselves. And though Chase may have been thinking of protecting his family, Leo hoped he could see that family was something Marcus never had. For a second, anger flared in Leo's eyes. He felt his only chance to get through to his brother was to echo words he'd used. Something he knew he felt sorry for. "So, don't ignore me like last time. Have some faith that I might be right."

"Okay." Chase said-after some hesitation-with a nod that seemed curt rather than understanding. "I won't ignore you." He promised. Then his voice lowered, to a sharp whisper. "Just him."

With that, Chase turned on his heel and walked out. After a sigh, Leo followed. Bree watched her two brothers go, not sure how to feel. Then, she turned to look at Adam. He was leaning over one of their tables with his fists clenched and his mouth in a straight line.

"Are you gonna come upstairs again anytime soon? " She questioned cautiously, with her hands in her back pockets as she went over to him. He didn't answer, which made her worry even more. "Are you gonna _talk _anytime soon?" She rephrased, he voice breaking a bit.

He gave a shrug that felt lazy but looked pitiful. "What's there to say?"

Bree didn't have an answer.

So, she gave her brother a hug instead.

* * *

The fact that Leo and the Davenports only had a set of six dining room chairs made Marcus feel like he had even less business being at that table.

The seven of them were seated for-to put it nicely-their most awkward dinner to date. (Considering the family's history with jealous moments, stupid arguments, weird phases and crazy missions, there were plenty of contenders. But dining with someone previously described as a spastic sociopath? That took the cake.) Conversation was scarce, and the silence in between was uncomfortable enough to make skin crawl. Marcus was afraid to ask for anyone to pass anything, especially since Chase might argue he'd find a way to use a butter knife as a weapon . He decided asking for anything else was wrong because it was greedy. And that wasn't a way to make a good third impression.

He hoped Tasha felt like she did a good job with her cooking. Not only did she need a pick-me-up after all the information that was unloaded on her in the past few hours, no one had complimented her on the meal she made. Which looked like a feast, complete with everyone's favorite dishes. He supposed the best compliment was how they were all too focused on eating to talk. Although, that could be their extra-cautious way of watching their mouths.

Rather than watching their mouths, Marcus couldn't help but watch everyone's temples as they chewed. (No one took notice, since their eyes were on their plates.) He didn't think anything of it until something on Chase's temple caught his eye: A burn mark. For a moment, he wasn't sure where it came from. Then he remembered, when his foot jerked forward. He ignored the pain that shot through it, knowing that the pain he'd caused everyone was far worse.

It was enough to make him lose his appetite again. But not eating would seem wasteful, so he kept at it.

When dinner was finished, Donald had something to say. "This isn't the most ideal situation, but we have to deal with it together." Leo, of course, understood. Bree looked like she was trying to, but Chase definitely didn't seem open to the idea. Adam and Tasha were harder to read. And Marcus just seemed relieved to have someone else on his side. "Can you promise me that you'll try to be civil about this?" At the moment, being civil was really all he could ask for.

"Sure." Bree replied, while Leo and Tasha nodded. Chase got up without a word, and left again. Donald sighed and glanced after him, but didn't move from the table.

Adam stood and stayed but didn't speak. At this point, Leo brought up how he left Eddy behind. He wondered what would be done about that, but didn't have to wonder long. Adam grabbed the keys to the Firefly, looking eager to go for a drive. That came as a shock and relief all at once. It was strange to see Adam happy at a time like this, but seeing him upset brought everyone down more.

Once all her brothers left, Bree turned her attention to Marcus, who was trying his best to help Donald and Tasha clear the table. It wasn't working well, with him only having one free hand and foot, trying to keep his balance and clean at the same time. Finally he just gave up, and let the adults take over.

"Are you gonna wear that tattered shirt for the rest of your life?" Bree asked under a laugh, seeing that Marcus was dressed in the same clothes from the day before. The bottom layer was surprisingly intact, but the top one had obvious holes. She knew someone had to have offered him something else to wear, and that he turned the offer down.

She watched his eyebrow raise to the degree she wasn't used to seeing, but that Leo knew all too well. He pointed to Donald and said: "It'll look really weird when I'm his age." As his expression relaxed.

Bree shook her head playfully. "I think it'll disintegrate long before then."

She got an idea, and pulled Tasha away from the table. "You call it a sewing room for a reason, right?" She asked, while Tasha protested.

"I'm in the middle of helping my husband clean up." She said, trying to get back to him. Their time apart may have been short, but that didn't make them miss each other any less. Even doing mundane things together made up for it.

Bree didn't see their point of view. "_Please_. He didn't need help before he met you."

"That's because all the dishes were paper or plastic." She argued, making Marcus laugh.

Donald raised his eyebrows, amused. "And that's funny because _you _think she's joking."

Regardless of whether it was a joke or not, Bree ushered Tasha and Marcus to Tasha's sewing room.

In that moment, Donald heard the elevator door open behind him. He turned to see Chase standing there, and realized it had been used as a hiding spot that time, instead of an escape route.

Chase walked over to his dad, looking downright dejected. And what he asked was oddly surprising. "I don't have to talk to him, do I?"

"No," Donald said, because there was really no way to make them talk. "but it'd be great if you'd talk to us."

"Tell that to Adam." Chase countered, looking slightly more like himself.

"I plan to." Donald assured.

"Why is this happening?" It was a tough question, said in a startling way. All that anger, fear and confusion could be heard again.

Donald tried to answer as best he could, while gingerly placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "Your brother knew the truth from the start. And now he fully believes Marcus wants to redeem himself. I think we should trust his judgment. See how this plays out. Leo has always been able to see Marcus for what he really is. That's not gonna change. Other things might."

Donald's understanding was that Leo's goal in this was to see everyone's side of things. The others needed a chance to cool off.

Marcus just needed a chance...

**THANKS FOR READING, PLEASE REVIEW! Let me know if there are any mistakes, even with phrasing. (The whole crutch thing confused me, probably since I've never broken a bone.) Let me know if there's anything you want me to elaborate on. Also, I hope I didn't get too heavy too quick. All ideas are greatly appreciated. The next update won't be as quick as this one because of school stuff, but I'll update ASAP! =]**


	3. Call Waiting

**I've never written a chapter with this kind of theme, that only takes place at two mealtimes. Hope you enjoy!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Echo Kraddick Stewart, unknown (THANKS SO MUCH for your very flattering review. Characterization is very important to me, so I'm glad you think that. And I really agree with your view of Adam's shining moment from Bionic Showdown. I'll try to expand on that in the next chapter, but if not I'll definitely get to it. Aw. I really appreciate the feedback.), Blainers-143,*lovedyoufirstx*,misaai, 4EVERA POLARBEAR LOVER, KyoumouDBZmjj8, AngelGoneDevil69, The Lady of the Moon, Lady Cougar-Trombone (I agree with you there, and hope you like the spin I put on things. Let me know if you have ideas on that. I have a little bit of an idea. Since his hand is seen, I knew I had to make that robotic, but it's not the only part of him that's metal.), Precious, sweetkissesxxox, spectrum19, ithinkrandomness and rwayofmusicnlove of tumblr, a guest and The Throne, who reviewed the last scene.**

**I do not own Lab Rats**

A sense of déjà vu hit when Leo got downstairs the next morning. Marcus was finishing up with folding blankets, though there was no little mishap to deal with this time. Seeing that made a question enter Leo's mind. He waited until Marcus noticed he was there to ask.

"So, did you actually _watch_ _Funeral Mishaps_?" The look on Marcus' face showed he was never expecting to hear that. (But he could see why Leo asked. Out of all that was overheard from the bushes, that was one thing that went unanswered.) When he spoke, his voice wasn't the over-peppy schmoozer type used when Donald first entered the house during a jam session. Before the plan was officially set in motion. And it wasn't the almost gravel-like, menacing tone used once no one else was around. It was something different. Relaxed, relatable. Real.

"These are the questions that haunt you, huh?"

Leo wouldn't say 'haunt'. That word was reserved for the questions that kept him up at night. Considering everyone had so much to deal with at the moment, he was making even more of an effort to steer clear of those. So in response, he just gave an innocent shrug. Even for a non-vocal answer, it wasn't exactly honest. Which made Leo feel hypocritical, despite how the conversation was far from serious. Honesty was what he was asking for. Honesty was what he got.

"I can't stand stuff like that. It's sickening. Actually, I think anything that falls under the category of _reality _TV is sickening."

"Maybe you just haven't seen the right shows." The boys looked up at the sound of Bree's voice. She had her hands on her hips, and looked like she was holding back a laughing fit over Marcus' mocking tone.

Worry crept into Leo's expression as he watched Bree go about making toast. "You're not gonna make him suffer through _Teen Fiancé, _are you? That's not fair, he can't run away."

Marcus let out a chuckle. "Yeah," He agreed. "that's kinda hard to do with a sprained ankle."

"It's a sprain?" Bree asked with surprise, that Leo's expression echoed. "Doesn't that hurt _worse_?"

Leo knew Marcus wouldn't really answer. He hadn't said anything about being in pain up to that point, and he wasn't about to change his mind. (Especially since no one else had complained. They were in enough obvious pain-despite not having breakages-that they needed time off from school for recuperate.) The shrug he gave seemed to mirror the one Leo had given him. Like he knew that was the way to get out of admitting what wasn't easy to say. Bree recognized that, because of Adam. Though it seemed like his silence was more for anger management.

She sighed silently, and finished up with making breakfast. When she brought the plate over, she got an odd look from Leo. "Planning on entering a competition?" He asked, on account of the twelve slices of toast on her plate.

"_No_, I'm planning on sharing with you guys. If I only made enough for myself somebody would just steal it anyway." She reasoned, not catching the confusion in Marcus' eyes.

"Believe me, it happens." Leo said, taking a slice for himself. He watched as Marcus did the same, and wondered how uncomfortable that was. Sure, Leo and Bree were bound to get butter on their hands too, but cleaning up wasn't quite as easy when the only hand free was a metal one. He voiced his opinion, and Marcus shrugged it off.

This time around, the shrug wasn't one meant for avoiding conversation. Although as soon as Marcus answered, he wished it would've been. "It's better than yesterday when I had to deal with the sound of metal clinking against metal." He felt like he said too much, but there was no way to take it back. When he spoke again, he sounded distant. "_I hate that_."

The statement raised enough concern to make Leo and Bree look at each other. While Marcus didn't mean to say what he had, they couldn't bring themselves to question it.

"Why?"

But apparently Adam could. The three on the couch couldn't help but stare. They didn't know what they found more unsettling. The fact that they hadn't heard him coming or what he'd asked. It was the fifth word he'd spoken in hours. And although he didn't look nervous, his siblings could tell he hadn't meant to say anything.

"It… makes me uncomfortable." Much like the tone Adam had used. His slip of the tongue didn't sound like genuine curiosity, something the others were used to coming from him. It sounded harsh and-although Marcus had expected that treatment-it was difficult to deal with. Adam had no more to say in reply. He'd given up his search for something to eat, but hadn't lost his appetite. He spotted the still heaping plate of toast, and took four slices before heading back to the lab.

While Bree hid a sigh, wishing Adam would quit acting like he was, Leo looked to Marcus as if to say: "See? Told ya." He still seemed baffled by it.

The elevator doors parted and Adam reentered the lab to see Tasha sitting opposite Chase, who was trying his best not to look as angry as he felt. Donald was on the phone, having a conversation that made it hard for him to resist chucking it at a wall.

Although they didn't intend to, the others listened in on his half of the conversation. "Yes, I know that the deadline was two days ago… Something came up." He seemed deeply offended by what he heard on the other line, but kept rather calm. "Shocking as this may seem, I have a life outside of my inventions." He looked at his family before he continued. "Money is _not _the center of it… I understand how much I'm losing out on." He said with a nod the caller couldn't see. Even though Donald wasn't supposed to care how much money he was losing with this deal that hadn't worked out, it was irritating to have it rubbed in. "Fine." As a way to say he didn't like being scolded for something that was out of his hands, he ended the call with: "Thank you for your consideration." Once he hung up, he counteracted his wife and son's sorrowful glances with reassurance. "There'll be plenty of other opportunities."

This wasn't the first time Leo or Marcus put a snag in one of Donald's plans. Chase wanted to blame them, but it wasn't their fault.

Adam walked over and wordlessly handed his brother a piece of toast that was getting cold. With an odd expression, he accepted it. Adam looked between Donald and Tasha, but they kindly declined his small offer, so he just shared with Chase.

"Boys," Tasha began, as Donald took a seat next to her. He looked unsure of whether she was addressing him as well, but her amused smile told him she wasn't. Adam sat, glad he was eating. It may not have stopped him before, but his full mouth was an excuse to keep quiet. "You can't hide out in here for the rest of your lives."

Donald nodded in agreement. "Especially since you have to go back to school next week."

"But we don't want to deal with Marcus right now," Adam didn't seem to mind having Chase speak for the both of them, and let him continue on. "And he's not allowed down here, right?" That sounded more like a command than a question, and earned him stern looks.

"For now, no." Donald informed. Although he disagreed with the way his sons were behaving, he knew that in order for them to calm down that would have to be a boundary. It was an unwritten rule. The lab was sanctuary. "But next week I'm going to have to… run some repairs."

The boys didn't seem to have a problem with that. They wouldn't be around for the process anyway.

"To be honest," Tasha said, seeing that their attitudes hadn't changed. "I don't like this situation any more than you do."

How could she? A seemingly innocent boy had helped a madman with a plan to turn his own children into bionic soldiers, all while trying to eliminate the unexpected roadblock in their way. That roadblock being her son.

Donald and Chase looked at each other and then at Tasha with sheer surprise. Adam on the other hand still seemed emotionless. "But you-" Chase began.

"I put my anchor lady face on," She explained. "because this is a decision my son and husband made together. Unlike most times, it's not some zany scheme involving one of his inventions. They're trying to do a good thing. Who am I to stand in their way?" Adam and Chase had seen her no-nonsense attitude firsthand, so they knew that-no matter how stressful it was-this situation made sense to her.

"I said I would ignore him." Chase told the adults. He wasn't being angry toward them. It was just a matter of fact, and he wasn't going back on his word.

"You can ignore him on the same floor." Tasha pointed out.

"We'd really rather not." Chase answered. Though he didn't explain why he was staying away.

Along with not being able to stand the sight of Marcus, he was worried about what he-or more likely, Spike-would do because of that. And considering Adam's hidden ability was unlocked thanks to Marcus, he could bet that-for once-his brother followed his logic.

* * *

Bree looked at the two remaining pieces of toast on her plate. She offered them to Leo and Macus just before her phone rang. She took it out of her pocket and stared at the screen as if she had never seen the device before. Leo was surprised to hear a second ring. Bree almost always answered on the first.

"Who is it?" He asked.

"It's Owen." She told him, as if in a daze.

"Well, _pick it up_." As unusual as it was, Leo understood her hesitation. Owen's world had gone uninterrupted by the events of the past two days. He was unknowingly trying to rush Bree's life back to normal, and she was unprepared for that.

Leo took the plate after handing the second to last slice to Marcus. Bree accepted the call, trying not to come across as flustered. Normally Owen didn't mind her nervousness, but this was different. She mentally prepared herself for a lot of lying.

"Hey, Owen." For some reason, her first instinct was to ask him what was wrong. Even though she was the one with issues at the moment. But he _would_ usually just text her. Once she knew that he was perfectly alright, a thought warmed her. Maybe he just wanted to hear her voice. He also had a question, though. "Breakfast?" She echoed, looking at the plate Leo was still holding. "I just ate, actually…" From what the boys could tell, Owen rolled with that and asked her to lunch instead. It was hard for her to turn the date down, but she had no choice in the matter. "I'd love to, but I'll have to take a rain check." Something in her voice had him worried based on what he asked next, but she didn't drop the act. "Of course I'm happy to hear from you... I'm great." She assured. "Just takin' a personal… week." Owen had another question, but the only word Leo overhead of it was 'brothers'. Then he got up and went to put the empty plate in the sink. "They're good, too." Bree answered, adding something that never usually helped convince people something was true. "Right, Leo?"

She held the phone out in his direction, only giving him a chance to yell: "What's up, Owen?" He didn't have an opportunity to say anything back, but Leo was happy about that. Owen could talk for miles.

"We'll see you next Monday, okay?" Bree asked. After Owen answered, they said their goodbyes and she hung up.

"What was that all about?" Leo wondered aloud, as he walked back to the couch.

She paraphrased Owen's message, replacing 'you' with 'us', 'I' with 'he' and so on. "He wanted to check up on me-us, actually. He says that although he doesn't agree with our methods since we're going to miss out on a week of school-a vital part of our intellectual and social upbringing-he hopes our week off will bring us solace..." At that word, they knew Owen caught onto that something was wrong, but understood that Bree wasn't ready to fess up to it.

For a second, the boys that she was done rephrasing, but there was more. She just needed to take a breath. "...and peace while allowing us a chance to reflect and, if need be, _cleanse our souls_." Leo laughed. Catching sight of the look on Marcus' face, he couldn't tell if he found that ridiculous or respectable.

The guilt in Bree's eyes was obvious, but Marcus' cryptic expression held a hint of something else: Sorrow. Maybe for himself, as if he wished he had someone who would call and see how he was doing. That stung, though Leo could relate.

As a way to keep their minds off the downsides of the situation, he tried to go back to their original conversation. He couldn't remember where they left off, so he decided to switch to another light topic.

He started with Marcus'-apparently new-shirt. "Where'd you get that?"

"The shirt?" Marcus asked, for clarification. It was long-sleeved and the fabric was so simple it had almost no detail. Leo nodded, making Bree chuckle because she already knew the answer. "Your mom made it for me."

She also told him she would go shopping for him later, so he would be ready to return to school. He tried arguing, as he had with all offers the Davenports had made for him. He didn't want to make any more trouble for them, but he quickly learned that arguing with Tasha _was_ trouble. And winning an argument with her? That was impossible. Even so, as disgusting as it might sound, Marcus didn't plan on changing clothes for a little while. It was too much of a hassle at the moment.

"Did you request gray fabric or was that something she conveniently had lying around?" Leo questioned teasingly.

"Both." Marcus answered.

"Is gray all you ever wear?"

"_No_," Leo said to Bree, before Marcus had a chance. "there was that time he wore red and that other time he wore… greenish…tannish…plaid…_ish_." He trailed off, wondering why he remembered the detail when he should've been too busy dodging attacks to take notice. Marcus looked like he suddenly wondered what Bree put in Leo's toast.

"Oh, yeah." Bree said mockingly. "You've got a _great_ sense of style."

"I know I do." He answered casually, ignoring her sarcasm and flashing a defiant sort of smirk.

A thought crossed Bree's mind, and she voiced it even though it would make the conversation deeper. "Guys, while we're on the subject of requests versus conveniences versus… _demands_," She guessed, making the others wonder what was in her head. She turned to Marcus and asked: "why did Davenport take your chip out?"

Both boys seemed sideswiped by that, and fell silent for a full ten seconds. Leo, because he couldn't believe they ended up on a topic he'd tried so hard to avoid. Though that brought him back to the rule he'd set for himself, about how discussing difficult things was better than not talking at all. Marcus apparently agreed, because he spent his ten seconds putting his thoughts together.

"I'd love to tell you that being… destructive-" He choked out, since it was easier to say and hear than 'demented'. "isn't in my nature. That every bad thing that ever happened since I met you was because of the chip. And that asking for it to be taken out was some sort of selfless act." Leo's face dropped, because thinking back, that's exactly how it seemed. It was supposed to be Marcus' first step at turning himself around. Though, maybe that started with saying sorry. That hadn't been easy to say. Neither was this: "But I asked because… I was in pain."

That was the first time they'd heard him admit to being hurt. And-although they didn't expect it to-it didn't make them feel better. Marcus directed his glance at Bree and went on. "You saw the monitor. It was draining." All those abilities weren't meant to be packed into one person. He couldn't handle it, and since he'd never used those abilities for anything good, he felt he didn't deserve them even if he could. "No wonder my life expectancy isn't even sixteen years."

He hadn't wanted to say all that, but Leo looked appalled that he had. Not at him, but at the one who put that thought in his head. "You don't honestly believe that, do you?"

Marcus didn't know what to believe.

"It's not true." Bree said, sounding apologetic and agitated at the same time. "It's a lie Douglas told to make us… _disregard_ you. You're gonna be fine, Marcus." She insisted, gesturing to her brother. "Leo was."

Marcus had a feeling she wasn't talking about the other boy surviving something he took part in. Though that was impressive, as well as a relief.

He looked lost, so Leo clued him in. "I've had a ceiling collapse on me, too," Leo said, having just caught the connection Bree made. He hadn't really thought about it before. It was strange to realize that he and Marcus had common ground. "but I _also_ had someone dig me out." That was the part they didn't share. And the guilt was eating at Leo.

"My _point_ is," Bree continued, looking back at Marcus. "you survived this." Seeing his metal hand, she wondered what else he'd survived and why he hadn't talked about it. But she had a case to make, and got back to it. "_We all _survived this. We're in recovery and we're proving Douglas wrong. He can't decide our destiny for us."

The boys gave a confident nod in agreement, although Marcus seemed to force it.

* * *

"Here? _Really_?" Chase shot the place he and Adam had arrived at a disapproving look, but the two approached it anyway. He didn't expect a response, but Adam spoke. It was almost comforting.

"You seemed like you needed a pick-me-up. Everybody does." He wasn't used to hearing himself grumble. He didn't feel ready to say much else.

"No offense, but I don't think frozen yogurt is gonna make anything better. It brings back bad memories." Chase said, though there was no need for a reminder. And considering everything happened so close to home, avoiding places that brought back bad memories was about as easy as Adam avoiding staining his shirt. Any chance to get out of the lab was better than being cooped up in there the entire day with only the rock wall, ping pong table, a deck of cards and-worst of all-Eddy for entertainment.

Chase sighed. "I guess we should see what everyone else wants." While Adam went to order what they wanted, he called home.

Tasha answered and-with a giggle-relayed the message to Donald, who was sitting on the couch between Bree and Marcus. (Leo had gone off somewhere after dinner-telling them he had something to do-and they planned on talking nonsense until he returned to talk nonsense with them.) "Chase wants to know what everyone wants for dessert from Froyo-A-Go-Go."

"Everyone _including_ Marcus?"

She wasn't a hundred percent fine with hurting Marcus' feelings when she was supposed to be in anchor lady mode, but she had an opinion to voice. "Do you really wanna push him?"

"It's _yogurt_." Donald answered, not seeing the problem. The fact that Adam was treating might be, though. If he and his brother kept an iron grip on this grudge-no matter what the adults said-they might 'forget' Marcus' order. Donald turned to his houseguest. "Marcus, are you hungry?"

"No."

Donald had a follow-up question. "Marcus, are you _lying_?"

"Maybe." He said, with a laugh that was contagious.

Which led to, a somewhat irritated: "Marcus, _what do you want_?"

He thought for a second, about the last time he was at the frozen yogurt place. And the least bad thing he'd done, taking some innocent bystanders dessert. If he recalled correctly, it was vanilla. So he asked for anything but that. "As long as it's not that, I'm good." That led to blank stares.

"Is that supposed to be a joke? I don't get it."

Instead of answering Donald, Marcus looked at Tasha. "Tell him I said 'surprise me'."

"Careful," Donald advised. "you might end up with sugar free dirt in a waffle cone."

He shrugged, and Tasha asked for the rest of the room's orders. When they answered, she gave hers and Bree went to find Leo.

She super-sped up to his room, but he wasn't there. Confused, she turned around. That's when she saw boxes upon boxes worth of stuff Donald never used out in the hallway. She walked across the hall, into the practically empty room were Leo was.

"What are you doing?" She asked slowly, thinking whatever it was, he might get in trouble for it.

Leo clearly didn't care. "Making room." He answered casually.

She blinked, not following. "For Marcus?" The idea of giving him a more permanent living space was fine with her, but she didn't know how well it would sit with everyone else. Which is exactly why Leo hadn't mentioned his plan.

He nodded. "His ankle won't be sprained forever. And Adam and Chase won't be mad forever, either."

Bree crossed her arms. "I don't know about that." After a pause, she said: "Did Marcus ask for this?"

Leo took out the last box of way-more-than-worthless junk and set it with the others. "Of course not. But he can't just keep sleeping on the floor."

"He only does that because he's in _enough_ pain without having to worry about falling off the couch. Once he's healed he'll just sleep there." She reasoned.

"We'll see." Leo decided. "Did you just come up here to see what I was doin'? 'Cause normally you act like you just wanna get away from us." That felt weird to say, with how much Bree had been hanging out with him and Marcus. Along with how cold and distant Adam and Chase had been.

She shook it off, noting to try not to say things like that anymore. Or at least, let her brothers know she meant that with love. "Want some frozen yogurt? Adam's buying."

"'Adam's buying'? Those are magic words!" She chuckled at the comment, and they went to go place Leo's order.

* * *

When Adam and Chase returned, they were forced to sit through their third awkward meal together with Marcus. (Though, this marked Leo's fourth.) They didn't say much, but the others seemed to have a whole lot of nothing to talk about. A glare-which seemed to be a permanent fixture on Chase's face lately-said he didn't find the conversation stimulating.

Although the discussion was about nothing important, it must have been interesting for Leo. Soon his frozen yogurt looked more like yogurt soup. He threw the rest away and went to go figure out what to do with the boxes in the upstairs hallway.

Before that, he decided to check on his hamster. And then, for some odd reason, check his phone. It felt odd because it wasn't like anyone ever called him.

Well, most days no one ever called him. But he had four unread messages and a voicemail, from Janelle. He mentally scolded himself and his luck. Of course, the day he didn't bother to keep his phone on him, was the day he became Mr. Popular.

Leo listened to the voicemail, trying not to be so mad that he missed it. There was enough anger in the house already.

_Hey, Leo. It's me_-

_Me_? Leo thought. Of course, he had caller ID. So there was no need for Janelle to specify who she was. But 'me' meant something. Didn't it?

…_It's nothing important really; I just wanted to see how you were doing…_

There it was. His wish, granted.

_I left you a few texts earlier, but I guess you're busy… _

Her tone suggested she guessed he was busy doing nothing. He had to laugh; it was technically true.

_I hope everyone's okay…_

Intuition was something Janelle and Owen shared. Unlike him though, she was noticeably bothered by not being up to speed.

_And…_ Her voice faltered, which wasn't typical. _Uh… _She sighed. _I'm just gonna say it… I miss you._

Leo felt his face flush, even though Janelle seemed slightly annoyed by her soft side. She ended the call with a quick: _Okay, bye._

_End of message_. The automated voice informed Leo as he smiled dreamily. _To delete this message, press seven. To save it in the archives, press nine. For more options, press 0._

Leo never had to make an easier decision in his life.

He pressed nine, set his phone back down, and went back to work…

**THANKS FOR READING, PLEASE REVIEW! Let me know if there are spelling/grammar/phrasing mistakes. Also if there's anything you want me to elaborate on, or if you have any ideas. Especially about missions. Should I refer to episodes after Bionic Showdown? (I was already thinking of mentioning the Neuro Scrambler, and Avalanche gave me a ton of inspiration.) Tell me your thoughts. Next chapter, I wanna have Leo and his siblings go back to school. I'll update ASAP! =] **


	4. The Void

**So readers, what's your favorite Principal Perry insult? (That's just one of the bunch of questions I have for you this chapter.) I didn't even realize the one coming up had been used before, until I was watching a repeat of "Spy Fly". Oh, and if you could make up an insult for her to use, what would it be?**

**This chapter is dedicated to KyoumouDBZmjj8, AngelGoneDevil69, LBozzie, Lady Cougar-Trombone (THANKS SO MUCH. I have a few ideas about Marcus' 'roboticness', but if anyone has theories I'd love to hear them, too. I'll keep your ideas in mind.), Cassernzero, unknown (Once again, THANKS SO MUCH! I'll definitely try to be subtle and... proper about the references. I try to keep it realistic to the show, so that's good to hear.) Guest (Don't be sorry, THANKS SO MUCH for reviewing! I try to give every character equal focus... I know I haven't yet but I'll keep working on it. My goodness, what wonderful analysis and insight. How flattering! Much appreciated.), ~BlueSapphireGem of deviantART, 4EVERA POLARBEAR LOVER, MBVlover2884, 88Keys, DollarSigns (THANKS SO MUCH! I think it helps that I analyze the heck out of Lab Rats, but I'm glad to hear it works well for the mood of the story. I'm definitely saving your review for future reference because it has great points. Some of which I've already planned to explore.) , Maddi3Inator, and The Throne, who reviewed two of the scenes.**

**Last but not least, a dedication for and recommendation about musicnotes093. The A-Boinic Chronicles is some PURE AMAZINGLY EPIC AWESOMENESS! One of the best Lab Rats stories I've ever read. Please check it out.**

**I might've set a personal record with the length of this chapter, seventeen pages. Enjoy!**

**I do not own Lab Rats**

"Alright, Space-Wasters." Principal Perry addressed the slightly thrown off-but not threatened-new students in front of her. "Here are your class schedules. You only get one copy, so if you lose them before you have them memorized-" She cracked herself up before she could finish, and had to continue under laughs "good luck with that guessing game." With that, she shooed the two girls out of her office.

"Nice lady." The-much-shorter of the two remarked sarcastically. (On a regular day, she'd be wearing heels that made their height difference three inches. But she wasn't sure if Mission Creek's dress code allowed her to wear them.) As another contrast, their skin tones were on opposite ends of the spectrum. Not that the short one was particularly pale.

"Well, not all principals can be personable thirty-one year old dreamboats." The other reasoned as they started down the hallway.

With that comment, crinkles formed by laughing almond-shaped eyes. "You miss that guy, don't you?" The shorter one questioned, with a gentle nudge.

"I miss _everything _about Cobalt Valley," The tall one corrected. "But I won't have to for long. As soon as it's rebuilt we're going back."

The shorter scoffed, tossing her head back. Her short hair fell right back into place. Even the longest layer, that reached her chin. "Does that mean you're not even gonna _try _to enjoy being here?" She watched her best friend shrug.

"I never _try _to enjoy anything. It either happens or it doesn't."

"_Well_, maybe this time you can try to make it happen."

The taller of the two rolled her brown eyes playfully, scooping a strand of her wavy shoulder-length hair behind her ear. "I don't see what people find so attractive about that whole optimism thing." She teased. "Yet, for some reason, it's what makes _everyone_ who meets you fall in love with you." She exaggerated her sentence by shaking her hands. The bracelet on her wrist moved but didn't jingle. There was something about that noise she found irritating rather than soothing.

Her friend didn't share her pet peeve, freely waving her bangle-covered arm around mockingly. She also didn't share her viewpoint and asked cheerily: "If you wanna see how it works, why don't you just _give it a shot_?"

"Will it get you off my back? " The other asked under her breath.

"I _heard_ that. Sometimes I think you do that just to annoy me." That was no easy feat, not much bothered her pint-sized companion. That was a trait they proudly shared. "After eight years, I know what you're saying."

"Go to class." That was less of an order and more of a joke.

"Oh, we have the same one." The pipsqueak piped up, looking the schedules over. "Actually, that's the only class we have together."

A heart dropped nearly six feet into the other girl's ballet flats. She wished she could say her next sentence with honest optimism. That was hard to muster when she felt so alone, though. "This is gonna be a great first day."

* * *

"Have you made a decision yet?" Chase asked, sounding a bit impatient. He and Leo were walking the halls before class, feeling out of sorts but trying not to act like it.

Leo shook his head. "I don't care what movie we see, I just have one question."

"What?" Chase asked, before realizing himself. "_No_, Marcus can't go with us." It wasn't just anger that contributed to his point of view. "He can't even get off the couch."

"_Yes he can_." Leo didn't like that know-it-all attitude any day, but it was worse to hear Chase say that like he witnessed it for himself. In all honesty, Chase knew it was an exaggeration. But getting around the house seemed like enough of a challenge for Marcus. He didn't want to add a public place to the equation. Not to mention, he'd most likely have to pay. All the kid had were the clothes on his back.

Chase willed his thoughts to be quiet, and proposed a compromise. "Why don't we just have movie night at home?"

"Sounds good to me," Leo agreed. "as long as I still get to pick."

Chase nodded. "And we could still have movie theater rules, so no one would talk." He wasn't saying that because he didn't want to miss any details of the movie. He was just being sour. But he didn't want to argue, and Leo knew that.

"It's good you're talking here. People probably think Adam's taken a vow of silence."

On cue, their brother came running to them. There was something about his energy that seemed normal. Well, his brand of normal. "Hey guys, guess what?" It was a sad sight. Not to anyone else, but no one else knew what he was doing. Acting like nothing had happened.

The others looked between each other, secretly concerned. Before they could get a word out, Bree caught up to the group. "How backwards is it that I'm running to catch up with you?"

"Sorry, I was just excited to tell them about the partition."

Leo and Chase's confused glances set on Bree, since they didn't think they'd get an explanation out of Adam. "He means petition." She corrected.

"Well, it's gonna create a partition between the two squads." Adam reasoned.

"He's got a point there." Bree admitted.

"You guys are starting a petition for an alternate cheerleading squad?" Chase asked his siblings, spotting the clipboards in their hands. Adam held three and Bree had two.

With an eager nod, Adam informed: "It was Bree's idea."

Leo and Chase looked at her for justification. She took them over to a corner to explain. Adam didn't seem to mind.

"Cheerleading made him happy, _really_ happy." She said, proving that she saw through his act, too. "And we didn't even get a fair chance with it the first time around." They nodded understandingly and rejoined Adam where he stood, waiting patiently.

"Is having two squads for one school even… legal?" Leo asked.

"Doubt it." Chase scoffed.

"Half the stuff Perry lets go on here isn't legal."

"Another valid point." Chase noted. Adam smiled, proud of himself. "Alright, what do we have to do?"

"Simple." Bree said. "Just get a hundred signatures each."

"Yeah, that's _real _simple for the least popular kids in school." Leo said sarcastically.

Adam looked offended by this; but-again-what he said came as a surprise. "If we can save the world together, this should be no sweat."

His siblings grinned, each taking a clipboard. "What do we do with the last one?" Leo asked.

"I was thinking Janelle could help us out." Bree explained. "Why don't you go see if she's interested?"

He happily obliged, walking off to find Janelle. Adam headed off in the other direction.

"Subtle." Chase said sarcastically. "Playing peacekeeper _and _matchmaker?"

Bree shrugged. "Why not?" What she said next had a lot of impact, but she didn't stick around to see it. "I just want my brothers to be happy again."

* * *

Marcus stared at the apple on the counter in front of him, lost in thought. The last time anyone spoke to him that morning, it was to say their goodbyes.

Bree gave him a simple "See ya later, Marcus."

Leo left him with: "You stay out of trouble 'til I get back home." At those words, Bree sent her brother a knowing smile and the two went on their way.

Marcus wasn't sure if it was meant as a joke or what. All he knew was he would definitely keep that advice in mind.

"Are you gonna eat that apple, or just admire it all day long?" Donald asked, interrupting his thoughts. The man was rummaging through the fridge for his own breakfast.

"I'm seriously debating that." Marcus answered. He didn't sound like he was being funny and it had Donald concerned.

"Why? I didn't think you were a picky eater."

"I'm not."

"_But_?" Donald probed.

For a moment Marcus didn't answer. He'd avoided talking about being in pain for the most part. And while what he felt wasn't physical, it was no exception to the rule. Donald didn't look like he would drop the subject any time soon, though. So, he gave in.

"Everything I eat turns my stomach, for some stupid reason." He decided he needed to rephrase himself. He knew why it kept happening. "Well, for a lot of stupid reasons."

"Like what?" Donald asked, to show that Marcus hadn't admitted very much.

Marcus gestured to the spoon Donald planned on using, signaling that he wanted to show him something. Donald handed it over, figuring Marcus' point would be clear in a minute.

The boy pressed the spoon to the base of his metal palm, slowly dragging it up and down his hand. It hardly made much sound, but what little sound it did make was supposed to be gentle. Calming.

Except, that it was far from that. "See how annoying that is?"

The frown that settled on Donald's face proved that 'annoying' wasn't the right word. He knew what Marcus was trying to equate the sound to. It was nothing new.

In that moment, it was like it had just dawned on Marcus that he was talking to Douglas' brother.

Marcus tried to bring up what he thought during dinner his first night staying at the house, but he couldn't get the words out. His reason for not wanting to eat wasn't so stupid then. He handed Donald his spoon back, and went on. "At breakfast last Sunday, all I could think about while I ate was how I took out your toaster with my heat vision."

"That was _you_? I blamed Leo for that."

"Of course you did."

"Well, do you have any strange psychological reason to hate apples?" Donald asked jokingly, after a pause.

"Not that I can think of."

"Then eat already. And… don't think so hard." It was like Marcus was making more hurt for himself, and Donald didn't like seeing that.

The boy managed a small smile in reply, and finally took a bite of his apple.

* * *

Janelle caught someone's reflection in the small mirror in her locker, while getting the textbook for her second class. He looked surprised to see that there _was_ a mirror in her locker. She looked surprised-and excited-just to see him. She turned around so fast she almost lost her balance, but it sure didn't look like it. She always seemed to keep her cool.

"Miss me?" Leo asked suavely.

Her expression told him she wasn't taking that seriously, but she still asked: "You got my voicemail, didn't you?"

"Yeah." He replied, in a way that suggested she was never going to live that down.

She ignored the urge to roll her eyes at him, and instead went with another one of her urges.

When her hulking history textbook dropped to the floor, Leo would've never guessed Janelle had done that on purpose. He was just about to-struggle to-pick it up for her, but couldn't. His arms were held down by her arms, which were suddenly wrapped around him. Now it made sense why she dropped the textbook. The thing weighed a ton, and apparently the only thing she wanted to be holding at the moment was him. Janelle wasn't much of a hugger, and Leo knew the moment wouldn't last forever. So, of course, he hugged her back.

"That was a little dramatic, wasn't it?" Leo asked as he watched Janelle pick up the textbook for herself.

She countered his teasing tone with a deadpan one. "Don't get used to it."

He held his hands up briefly in defense, and then told her why he was there. "I hope you don't think I came over here just to ask you a favor, but…. I need to ask you a favor."

This time she did roll her eyes, playfully. "What?" She didn't sound annoyed, just curious.

Leo took the other clipboard out of his backpack and told Janelle the plan his siblings had.

"I don't blame them. Stephanie's like the female version of Trent."

Leo laughed in agreement. "So, do you think you could help us out?"

"Sure." She answered. First, they swapped clipboards, signing each other's. Then she took her own back and made her way to history class. She only made it a few steps down the hallway when Leo called after her.

"Janelle?" She turned around, sending him a questioning look. "I miss you already."

She didn't say anything back before going on her way again, but-despite how goofy he was being-she couldn't help but smile.

* * *

"Owen, do you think we'll be able to pull this off?" Bree didn't sound too confident. If she was, she wouldn't have asked.

Owen handed over Bree's clipboard-that he had just signed-and fixed his posture. "Absolutely. You've all had your week of rejuvenation-"

She interrupted him with a giggle.

"and even if this plan doesn't work out exactly how you intended, it's bound to make an impact. You and your brothers are good at that."

"We never really make a _good _impression." Bree countered, with her head in her hand. "We always end up laughing stocks."

Owen shook his head. "Believe me, the slip-ups aren't what sticks. It's the good you do that matters most."

"That's just it. What good is this gonna do? People can only support us until Stephanie figures out what we're doing. It's the popular kids that rule the school."

"Don't worry about her." Owen insisted. He hated to hear Bree doubt herself. "It's simple, but this could make Mission Creek a better place."

Bree held in a scoff. "What, like, divide and conquer?"

He shrugged innocently. "It'll make people think. Would they rather have their squad headed by…" He couldn't think of a well-worded insult, despite being fully awake by third period, so instead he just continued with "Stephanie, or someone like you?" Bree didn't answer. Stephanie was a pain, but she said what she was thinking. "Not everyone will be supportive, but people will see what I see. You have good intentions, Bree. Especially since the reason you came up with this idea was to help your brother."

Throughout the whole conversation, the two never lost eye contact, but Bree was looking at Owen in a way she never had. A way she never meant to. With disbelief. "How do you know that?" She asked almost accusingly. She hadn't told him-and she was angry at herself for that-but somehow he just knew.

Owen didn't feel deserving of that attitude, but he understood where it came from. How could he know what they were going through? The two were sitting right next to each other on the stairs, but he'd never felt more distant from Bree.

"Whatever happened, you're all hurting from it. But… it's different for Adam." He said softly.

"Why? _How_?" Bree hadn't noticed, and was even more disappointed in herself for that.

The details were fuzzy, like with the entire situation. All Owen had to go by was intuition. He wished he had an answer to give, but even if he did, the bell cut the conversation short. Neither of them cared about being late. "I don't know." Owen admitted, as the two of them stood up.

As upsetting as the news was, it inspired Bree to work harder to make sure her plan was a success.

* * *

"Any questions before we get started?" Donald asked, as he started on prepping his equipment.

Marcus answered from where he stood beneath the frame of the elevator. Almost as if he was afraid to step out into the lab. (He'd avoided it as if it were a desert full of rattlesnakes up until that point. He distanced himself because Adam and Chase had a right to be angry.) "Just one; where's Eddy's mute button?"

He was answered back with a laugh, coming from Tasha.

Eddy, however, didn't find that so funny. He popped to life as Marcus made his way over, with much greater ease than just days prior. It was almost scary to see, but it was sheer will that let him bear more weight on that ankle. The less time spent in recovery, the more time he'd have with Leo and Bree. "This good guy act is sucking all the fun out of you." The computer told him scathingly.

Marcus gave him a look. At first, he wasn't going to say anything. But something didn't feel right about ignoring Eddy not because he was being annoying, not because what he said was wrong, but because he was a machine. "It's not an act."

"_Sure_." Eddy remarked sarcastically, making Marcus grit his teeth. "Still a pretty good liar. _I _almost believed you there."

"Watch yourself, Eddy." Tasha warned sternly.

"He knows how to deactivate you." Donald reminded him.

"Yeah," Marcus added. "that sounds like fun." Tasha nodded in agreement.

"Not for the person who has to reactivate him." Donald argued. Then he looked back at Eddy. "Will you behave yourself so we can get back to work?"

"I don't see why you even keep him around." Marcus commented, making no attempt to mumble. If Eddy made no attempt to be nice, why should he?

"Because, believe it or not, Eddy serves other purposes besides being incredibly annoying. He's actually one of my greatest inventions. I can't just forget about him just because... he's rough around the edges."

That hit home. With a nod, Marcus joined Donald at his cyberdesk.

Though functionality was the main concern in designing Marcus' new hand, cloaking was another thing to consider. The public was so used to seeing him a certain way that anything that looked less than one hundred percent authentic would raise suspicion.

As Donald went through the options, Marcus gave him nods of acknowledgement. He didn't seem to be absorbing the words, though, staring straight forward in attempt to keep a straight face rather than focus.

After a few moments, it was obvious Marcus wasn't listening. He didn't even respond to his name. Tasha watched nervously as Donald went to give him a gentle nudge.

The boy did more than flinch. He jumped. He bit his tongue, holding in a scream of pain.

The sorrow he felt for zoning out was reflected in Donald's eyes. "I was… somewhere else." Marcus explained, unsure how he let his thoughts wander. Since that morning, he was trying to follow Leo's example more, and talk about what pained him. But flashbacks were stalling progress. He had to let them go if work was to be done.

"It's alright." Donald said, though he knew having a discussion was healthier than holding back. This was something he'd bring up later. For the moment, Marcus could use a distraction.

As he tried to think of one, Donald's mind traveled back to when he had more or less promised to give Marcus a lesson in 'Davenportology'. He remembered the extra-eager response. Mostly, he remembered how he shot it down. To try to make up for it-if there really was anything to make up for-Donald said: "So, uh, tell me your theories." Marcus didn't say anything. He just looked lost. "You do _actually _have theories, right?" Small talk had been made to keep-almost-everyone off Douglas' trail but Marcus had to have something to back up what he said. And there could be truth to that. "Maybe on… plasma gasification?" Donald went on, almost convinced that bringing up vague memories of his own was no help to Marcus.

That wasn't the case. "Oh, yeah." The boy relied. For a second, it seemed he wouldn't say anything else.

"Well, c'mon." Donald urged. "We can talk and work at the same time."

After a nod of agreement and some thought, Marcus got to talking.

Tasha was just about to leave the lab at that point, but couldn't resist staying behind for a moment. She was surprised and impressed at how the discussion they were having barely had anything to do with Donald. She watched the smiles form on their faces and knew there was a familiarity to what she was seeing. It was a casual conversation, but the way Donald and Marcus connected then was on par with how Donald treated Adam, Bree, Chase and Leo, and vice versa. While that was sweet, it also seemed strange. Like it was too much too soon. Yet-she noted, as she went on her way-their smiles were contagious.

* * *

Lunchtime served as the ultimate opportunity for Leo and his siblings to get a bunch of signatures. (It also felt odd, as it was another meal Leo and Bree weren't having with Marcus. After a week, they'd been used to that.)

Chase spotted a certain blonde. He approached her and asked if she'd heard about the petition.

"My gossip sessions never leave me out of the loop." Danielle replied, reaching out for the clipboard. He smiled gratefully as she signed. He went to head back to his table, but she called after him. He turned around awkwardly, caught off guard. He didn't think there was anything left for her to say. It wasn't like they'd seen each other very often. "Do you guys still dance?" She asked.

He wondered why that was so important to her, and that showed in his expression, but he kept quiet about it. "Yeah, once in a while."

Danielle smiled. "Cool, keep it up. See ya around."

Chase nodded, though he still didn't understand, and walked off again. He was still filled with confusion, but by the time he joined his siblings where they sat, it was over something else. "I can't believe how much progress we're making." He basically choked out the word 'we're', but no one seemed to notice.

Leo and Bree nodded happily in agreement. Adam's smile seemed self-righteous, as he showed off his nearly full clipboard to the others. "One more signature and we're a fifth of the way there." He informed, getting up as he spotted his next 'target'."

"He got ninety-nine signatures in a _day_?" Bree asked in disbelief.

"Forget that," Leo told her, shocked by something else. "He got the math right."

Since Chase had seen how smart Adam could be when it came to popularity, he had to side with his brother on that one.

"Hey, Leo."

Leo looked up at the redhead who addressed him. "Hey, Gordo."

"I heard about the petition, and I wanna sign." His friend said.

"Awesome." Leo went to hand his clipboard over, but it was pushed back a bit.

"On one condition."

"What?" Bree asked, not sure she was going to like the deal the boy was trying to cut. As she looked up at him, she caught sight of Adam. He was keeping the utensils out of reach of a very annoyed-looking Trent. (Soon enough, the bully resorted to eating with his hands.)

"If this works out, I get to make the uniforms for the new squad."

"Alright." Leo decided. After his friend signed and walked away, Chase laughed. He wasn't sure if that was because of Gordo's condition, or because he followed Bree's glance and saw Adam acting as a roadblock no matter where Trent tried to move. He gave his reason for agreeing anyway. "The guy makes a mean cape, and he could use a challenge."

He turned to watch the show his siblings had tuned into, just in time to see Trent blow up. "What's it gonna take for you to _GO AWAY_?!"

"Sign here, please." Adam grinned, passing over the clipboard. Trent angrily went about doing what he was told, and Adam went to rejoin his siblings as he read the signature over. "He _still_ spells his name with an 'I'?" He laughed to himself. "What a moron." When he got back to the table, he informed the others of the obvious. "I did it!"

"Yeah!" Bree said with pride.

"Congrats." Leo offered, as Chase gave his older brother a high-five.

When Caitlin walled over, it was obvious that a new pattern had emerged. The group no longer had to ask for signatures as much. People were coming to them. "Hey, guys." She greeted, immediately making Adam and Chase tense a bit. Though she didn't have time to be crazy-obsessive. She was busy, but wanted to offer her support. She signed Bree's clipboard, gave everyone an encouraging smile, and went about her business again.

While he looked over the clipboards, proud of what he and his siblings had accomplished, Leo took note of something. He remembered how-to start off-Adam signed Bree's clipboard, she signed Chase's and Chase signed Adam's. That was done for encouragement; of course they supported their own cause. If the plan worked, Principal Perry would pay attention to the numbers, not the names. But the number of names on Chase's clipboard? Two.

"Chase, you only got Danielle to sign for you?"

"Yeah," He mumbled to Leo. "don't remind me."

He felt disappointed, but not in his bother. In the people that wrote him off rather than taking a second to write their names. He was going to have to do something about that. For the time being, he could only hope that that would change on its own.

* * *

Chase walked the virtually empty halls looking for someone-anyone-to sign his petition. He noticed two girls he hadn't seen before, talking by their lockers. He was going to try using his bionics to analyze who they were, but he realized he didn't have to. A lot of that could be heard in their dialogue.

The taller of the two cut a novel of an explanation short. "You know, maybe it'd be easier for you to just tell me who you didn't meet today. How do you keep making this many friends?" She sounded happy yet hurt all at once.

"None of them are my friends, yet." The other said. "I'm just a people person. And like I keep saying, you should try it."

"I was focused on schoolwork. I didn't have time to meet people." Came the argument.

"That's no excuse, I aced a pop quiz in the middle of all this."

That was answered with pride rather than annoyance. "_Al_right, up top."

They high-fived and the shorter one-who was even a munchkin in comparison to their audience of one-said: "Yeah, I'm still baffled."

"Self-doubt makes you look-"

The taller one's voice was low, even in Chase's ears. For a second, he thought he heard her tell her friend that she looked 'uglier or something' but he had to be wrong. Either that or they were such good friends that that was their way of teasing.

"Sure, sure." The shorter responded. Since the conversation died down, Chase took that as his cue to approach them. Even if they weren't looking his way.

"Excuse me, ladies."

"Hey, Gorgeous." The greeting caught him-and the shorter of the two friends-completely off guard. So much so, that he forgot why he was talking to them for a second. He briefly glanced at his shoes, almost as if he expected to find the answer written on them.

"…Uh, my siblings and I are starting a petition-"

"Ooh, yeah, I heard about this." The shorter of the two interrupted excitedly. She turned to her friend and explained: "The captain of Mission Creek's cheerleading squad is a total…" A stern look from her friend called for a last-second word swap. "jerk, so they're gonna see if they can start another squad." She flashed an enthusiastic smile as her friend thought that over.

She nodded slowly. "I can get on board with that."

"Great," Chase said. "thanks."

He handed the clipboard over, and the shorter of the two girls took it. She signed both names, then handed the clipboard back. She smiled slyly as he read their names over.

"I'll give you five bucks if you can pronounce them correctly." She challenged.

Chase thought back, and now the taller girl's words to her friend were much clearer. As was the response. _Self-doubt makes you look ugly, Tar, stop it. Sure, Shir._

"Thari and Shirlene." He answered, with quiet confidence.

"Hmm, now I wish I actually had five bucks." Thari said, making Chase chuckle. "Nobody usually gets that the 'H' is silent in my name. Like with Nathalia. And I think with Shirlene, her mom just couldn't decide between Shirley and Darlene."

Shirlene answered that with a playful eye roll, and asked: "What's your name?"

"Chase." He answered.

Shirlene smiled softly. "Fitting." She told him, making Thari resist the urge to drop her jaw. "Good luck with the petition."

"Thanks again." He said, walking off.

As soon as-the girls figured-he was out of earshot, Thari said. "Okay, I know you're new at this, but _that_ was not being a people person."

"That was a train wreck." Shirlene agreed.

"That was _flirting_!" Thari corrected. Her best friend looked at her, feeling lost. And guilty.

That wasn't her intention, and she wasn't proud out it.

* * *

"This probably won't get me points, but I collected all the work you and your brothers missed last week."

"Well, it'll definitely get you points with Chase." Bree joked. She smiled at Owen, and took the folder that was marked with her name. One thing she was definitely thankful for, the extra workload didn't seem too extensive. He answered her back with a light laugh, and handed Adam and Chase their folders.

Leo's attention was held by something else, tacked to the wall running alongside the stairs. He took it down before Owen got a good look at it, and slipped it into his backpack. As he thanked Owen for the work he collected, the final bell rang. Signaling that the students were officially free for the day.

Leo and his siblings said goodbye to Owen before heading out. It was only when Adam got to his car that he noticed he only had one passenger. He was confused until he followed Chase's glance, which was focused on Leo and Bree. They stood on a curb at the edge of the parking lot, linked arms and were out of there in a flash.

The dismissal bell may have meant freedom for everyone else, but for those four it meant a return to the reality they'd played off up until that point. They were once again stuck in a situation that set them apart. Adam knew that was supposed to sadden him, but a realization overshadowed that feeling. "Chase, do you remember when I told Leo that Marcus filled a void?" That was back before the truth was out, when the brothers hadn't even known Marcus for a week. It felt like centuries ago, and-although it was nowhere near as powerful as recent memories of Marcus-it was fresh in Chase's mind.

"Yeah, isn't it ironic that now he created one?" He mumbled contemptuously in reply.

Adam shook his head. Chase's eyebrows knit together, as he tried to see the meaning behind that movement. His older brother filled him in on the point he thought he was missing.

"We all did."

After that opinion was voiced, silence fell for the whole drive home. Chase couldn't manage the words to ask if Adam had gotten the impression that he was taking the day off from being the smart one. It was a startling rather than humbling experience, having Adam fill his shoes.

* * *

For once, Bree could say that she didn't mind being Leo's personal taxi. He would've raced home anyway, regardless of how uncomfortably hot the weather was that day. She couldn't blame him. They were making progress little by little, reshaping a very strained relationship. There wasn't time to waste, and distance wasn't doing anybody any good.

It was interesting for them to not find Marcus sitting on the couch. It meant he was getting his exercise, which was a positive thing. It also meant they'd have to do some searching. To make it easier on themselves, they called out his name. When he didn't answer, that narrowed it down. Big houses echoed, and if he couldn't hear them, the lab was their best bet for where to find him. The elevator ride down seemed to go on for hours, their excitement altering their concept of time.

The search was over when they saw him sitting on top of the table. Though Donald-who stood beside him-was blocking some of the view. "You do realize that there are four chairs around this table, right Marcus? How could you miss them?" He asked in a puzzled yet playful tone.

"I wasn't aiming for them." The boy explained, in a voice that made the smirk on his face seem audible. Though that vanished a second later, as if he realized he was on thin ice. "But I'll sit there if you want me to sit there." He rephrased quickly. Leo and Bree looked at each other worriedly, before slowly making their way over.

"Relax," Donald told him, seeing that Marcus was thinking too hard again. "I'm just saying you're weird." That wasn't really an insult. Everyone in the house was a little weird. Everyone they knew was a little weird. "You don't have to stop being weird." Donald insisted.

"Yeah, isn't being a good guy tiring enough?" Leo joked. It was for him, at times.

"Wouldn't wanna pile an impossible task on top of that." Bree added, sparking a sarcastic laugh from Marcus.

"Hello to you, too." He said, with a wave. And that's when they saw. His hand looked like a perfect match for the one that was casted.

"Whoa." Leo and Bree marveled, unable to resist the urge to poke the cover Donald had created. It was unreal how real it felt.

Marcus didn't look nearly as impressed as they did. Sure, Donald had done an amazing job, but he really could've done without their reaction. "See?" Donald said. "In this house, things are bound to get weird." At those words, Leo and Bree put a stop to the poking. This kind of thing seemed normal for them, Marcus thought. Normalcy is relative.

"It looks just like new." Leo observed, still astonished. He found his phrasing odd, but Marcus was secretly glad he hadn't said it looked just like before. He forced another flashback out of his thoughts and simply nodded.

Bree took a seat at the table, reluctant to start on the work she owed. Marcus took that as his cue to move, though he didn't go very far. Once Leo sat down, he took his usual spot. By then, it was just a habit. Marcus didn't mind that. It seemed like a new constant in his life. Something simple that he could be grateful for rather than feel guilty about. Even as he smiled to himself, he remembered not to hold onto that too tightly.

* * *

Leo and his sister gave themselves headaches trying to take care of a week's worth of homework in one shot. Just as Leo was thinking they could use a break, Eddy gave the kids a warning. It was almost nice of him, and he didn't even have to say anything to do so. The three looked at the screen, to see Adam and Chase out on the front porch.

"So, are you gonna go back to giving everyone the silent treatment?" Chase's question didn't have any resentful undertone, and it wasn't genuine curiosity that made him voice it. It just was.

Six hours of an act was a lot for someone who-usually-wasn't anything but his true self. (With the exception of keeping bionics a secret.) Adam wondered what kind of strain this was putting on his vocal chords. Staying quiet for nearly a week, and then being over-talkative as if that made up for it.

"I don't mean to," He told his brother as he turned the door handle and led the way into the house. "It just happens." For a moment, he didn't notice he left Chase standing in the doorway, wondering what he wasn't seeing.

It was a terrible feeling for him, to not understand what was going on.

Leo knew the boundaries that had been set. And he knew that Marcus respected them, because he was getting ready to leave the lab. He didn't seem bothered by it (especially since he'd been stuck in there nearly all day), but Leo hated the thought of him seeing himself the way his brothers did.

He gave him something else to think about. "Wanna take a tour? Even though you already gave yourself one once." Marcus laughed. That wasn't exactly true. He knew where he was headed when he first found the lab, and didn't take any pit stops beforehand.

"Sure, why not?" He decided. It'd keep him out of Adam and Chase's hair for awhile, and it could be fun. The four boys didn't even seem to notice they passed each other, but Bree sure did. She gave Donald a look, wondering if they were so busy with they were doing they didn't realize, or if they were that good at not acknowledging each other. He wasn't sure either.

When Leo and Marcus left, Bree got up. She was taking a break from her homework, but she also thought it was high time she paid Adam and Chase some attention.

"Mr. Davenport, Adam got all a hundred signatures he needed for the petition we started today." She informed excitedly.

Going by the look on her face a moment before, Donald didn't expect to hear her talk like that. But there was nothing about it that was faked, and that was a good sign. As was how his kids were finding a way to keep themselves busy.

"That's great, what's it for?" When she told him, she was glad he found the idea feasible. Especially considering she could tell he knew why she thought of it in the first place. "How many signatures did Leo get?"

"Fifteen, same as me."

"And Chase?"

"Four." He filled in, almost sounding proud about it for a change. To his surprise, Donald didn't laugh.

"That's progress. Good job guys, keep it up."

If this went over well, it meant Adam and Bree would have something to fill their time. Which is something they needed. Chase wasn't sure if things like chess club would be enough to keep his thoughts preoccupied. Though, maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it wasn't healthy for them to find too much else to focus on, ignoring the situation they found themselves in.

* * *

"_This _is the great room," Leo said, although it didn't need another introduction. "which we have to walk through to get to pretty much every other room in the house, depending on which door you enter."

"Why's it called the great room?" Marcus asked as he walked through it, Leo leading the way.

"Because the 'good enough room' undersells it." That earned Leo a look, but also a laugh. "In all seriousness, I think it's because the living room, kitchen, dining room and Big D's little office area over there aren't really separated by walls."

Marcus nodded understandingly, while Leo opened the front door. They stepped out onto the front porch and Marcus asked: "When are you gonna show me something I haven't seen yet?"

"I'm getting to it; I just figured you could use some fresh air."

"Oh, how thoughtful." He said sarcastically, getting a playful glare in response.

"Don't make me come back there." Leo mumbled mockingly as they rounded the house.

"This is the garage." Leo announced, wondering if the echo of his voice could be heard from the lab. He looked at Marcus, who was taking in the view of Donald's hydrogen car. He suddenly seemed sick.

Leo swallowed a sigh and told him: "If you're wondering what I think you're wondering… it blew up."

Marcus couldn't care less about what happened to Donald's self-driving car. He couldn't absorb what Leo told him about it because this particular flashback had too good of a grip on him. After his last encounter with the car, he didn't want to see it again. But he didn't have to. Just seeing a car was enough. Just seeing the garage was enough. He couldn't stand it, and he couldn't stand there any longer. As he caught up with Leo-who was already out of the garage door-Leo's words caught up with him. He was pretty sure his brainwaves had somehow scrambled the message. "Wait, _what_?"

"I think the goal was to gather all the fun stuff in one place." Leo told Marcus as he led him down the hallway with the bumper car, arcade and surf simulation rooms. Though Marcus seemed most interested in the room with the least amount of technology: the pool table room.

He leaned against the doorframe, looking the place over, and asked: "Have you guys ever even used this?"

"No," Leo answered, as if he just realized it. A lot of the house still seemed like uncharted territory. "but one of these days, I'll take you on. And pulverize you." Leo exited with that, heading down the hallway and making a turn. Marcus hung back a second, feeling a pang of guilt at the word 'pulverize'. Then, he found himself smiling. It was odd, but then he figured out why. Leo had turned a bad memory into the promise of something good.

"This is where it gets weird." Leo warned, as the two came to Donald's 'room full of me'. Though, at that moment, it was a 'room full of us'. Marcus barely made it inside before that sickly feeling sank in again. Leo could sense it, but he didn't know why it was there. He didn't have a chance to ask.

"Yeah, that's enough of that." Marcus said; ready to move onto another room. Preferably one with no mirrors in it.

"I apologize in advance for what I'm about to show you. But hey, you agreed to this tour." Leo could see that Marcus was wondering what could be so bad, as he took him to the art vault. He expected at least a comment on how beauty was in the eye of the beholder, but Marcus didn't ask about the Davenportraits. Probably because he didn't want to know.

He pointed to the Von Schtopp painting with a hole burned through it. "What happened here?"

"Adam sneezed." Leo said simply. He watched Marcus' expression change and, oddly enough, couldn't decode it. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm really glad Adam doesn't sneeze into his hands." After his horror over the thought melted away, Leo explained that Donald kept it around to remind the kids of what they owed him. Marcus had to laugh, if only to himself. He knew that-much like the painting itself-there was a deeper meaning behind that.

Exploring upstairs was a bit of a challenge, and Leo teasingly compared it to climbing Mount Everest for Marcus. He didn't want to brag, but he could tell his room was the highlight of the tour. Even if that was all thanks to his hamster, bringing the cuteness factor. Seeing the way they interacted, it was obvious to Leo that Marcus had never had a pet before.

"So, that's it?" Marcus asked. He didn't sound dissatisfied. Anything was a step up considering where he came from, but this house was overloaded. So much of it had only been seen in passing, and never actually explored.

Leo shook his head, and cocked it in the direction of the open doorway, turning Marcus' attention to the room across the hall. He didn't see the appeal, and walked inside to see if there was something he'd missed from where he'd stood.

"Well…?" Leo asked in anticipation.

"Is it supposed to balance everything else out?" Marcus asked, still not catching on. "Since it's not so… glamorous?" (He wondered why it was empty. If Donald could find a bunch of ridiculous uses for his other extra rooms, why not this one?)

"That's up to you." Leo answered. Then it clicked.

"No." Leo thought Marcus said this because he hadn't seen it coming. It didn't seem like a refusal. Then he said it again. "No, I can't."

"Are you trying to tell me I cleared this room out for no reason?" Leo asked disappointedly. Marcus didn't answer, but he turned away from the room. "Fine, be that way."

Leo hated how stubborn Marcus was, but that was another trait they shared. Which meant Leo could be even _more _stubborn.

Suddenly he wasn't so disappointed. The argument wasn't over yet. Marcus had only succeeded in postponing it for a bit.

* * *

"There is _one_ thing we ought to make official, though." Leo thought aloud when the tour ended, and the two were standing in the great room once again. Since Marcus sat in his spot, it seemed like he wasn't interested in hearing what that one thing was. But only for a second.

"What?" He asked, looking up at Leo.

"Well, we're burying the hatchet, right?" Leo watched Marcus' eyes avert. Both boys had been buried, so that wasn't the easiest of expressions for either of them to swallow. But that wasn't the whole explanation for why Marcus looked away. On one hand, that did hurt to hear. But at the same time, it didn't seem strong enough of a statement. Not when he thought back on the amount of times he was almost the reason for Leo being buried.

Because of that, he could only manage a weak nod in response.

"So, let's call it." Leo decided, seeing Marcus' brow furrow. He cleared things up with one word. "Truce?"

Marcus looked at Leo's outstretched hand like he didn't know what to do with it. Though that confused expression instantly turned into one close to boredom, that hid his thought process. For a second, Leo silently panicked. The connection seemed lost, and Marcus seemed unresponsive. Until he did something that only seemed fair. Only seemed natural.

He made a fist.

Leo immediately understood, and his uncertainty dissolved as he mirrored the action. The two wore matching smiles as their knuckles touched.

"Truce…"

**Thanks for reading, PLEASE REVIEW! Let me know if there are any spelling/grammar/phrasing mistakes, and if there's anything you want me to elaborate on. **

**Some questions:**

**1. Do you guys want to see the flashbacks Marcus is having? (That's a bit of a challenge, since some details about Marcus' and Douglas' background are fuzzy, but I'm open to it.) **

**2. Would Leo and Marcus still have gym, study hall and chemistry together?**

**3. Do you guys wanna hear Leo's first round of questions to Marcus ("Where were you born? When is your birthday? Who's the president of Venezuela?") answered?**

**4. On that note, when do you think Marcus' birthday is? It's gotta be somewhere between November 22nd and December 21st, since he's a Sagittarius. Should we put it to a vote? I'd love to do something birthday-related in the story, if I could pull it off.**

**For those curious about how Shirlene & Thari dress, I'll put the links for that on my profile. (I'll probably elaborate on their names. Some of my readers know I like making up names, like Ryellie, but I found these two.)**

** Ideas are greatly appreciated. I****'ll update ASAP! =]**


End file.
